(1830s) Token HT-107, Waterbury CT

Coin Details

Description

This Scovill Manufacturing Company token from the 1830s was struck in brass, the alloy that was Scovill's primary commercial product. The token carries the Waterbury, Connecticut identification and serves as both a cent substitute and an advertisement for the company's metalworking services. The brass composition was a natural choice for Scovill, as the company maintained large inventories of brass sheet from which planchets could be easily cut. Waterbury, Connecticut — nicknamed "Brass City" — was the undisputed center of the American brass industry in the nineteenth century. Scovill and its competitors (Benedict & Burnham, Chase Brass & Copper) transformed the town into an industrial powerhouse, producing everything from buttons and buckles to lamp fixtures and clock components. The concentration of metalworking expertise in Waterbury made it the natural headquarters for Hard Times Token production, and a significant proportion of all merchant tokens in the series originated from Waterbury manufacturers. The Scovill company's legacy extends far beyond Hard Times Tokens. They produced daguerreotype plates for the early photography industry, buttons for military uniforms during the Civil War, and metalware of all descriptions throughout the nineteenth century. The company eventually became part of the Scovill-Hamilton Beach group and continued manufacturing into the twenty-first century.

Rarity Notes

Common. Brass composition with standard Scovill production volume.

Cross References

Low 105; Rulau HT-107